Every coach and engine is being prepared to welcome thousands of steam train enthusiasts to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, which is marking two big birthdays this weekend.
The Golden Jubilee Gala will mark the 50th anniversary of the flagship engine Northern Rock and coincides with 150 years of the railway carrying passengers.
Originally built in 1873 the line from Boot to Ravenglass was constructed to carry iron ore mined in the hills above the village to the coast where it was transferred to the Furness Railway’s mainline and transported to Barrow.
The line also carried passenger traffic from 1876 becoming the first public narrow-gauge railway in England.
A century-and-a-half later the route is still in demand and this weekend staff and volunteers are pulling out all the stops to create a spectacle to remember.
“It will be the first time in 20 years that we will have a cavalcade,” operations manger Will Sands told Cumbria Crack. “We’ll have a cavalcade on Saturday evening and a multi-header with eight engines on Monday at Barrow Marsh.”
With 40 coaches and 10 steam locomotives all rostered to work, the 20 permanent and 10 seasonal members of staff will be glad of the help of some of the 100 or so volunteers drawn from all walks of life who are vital to the railway’s smooth running.
A highlight of the weekend will be Northern Rock, one of the railway’s flagship narrow-gauge steam locomotives which is 50 years old.
Two visiting locomotives from Whistlestop Valley will also be on show.
Sian, a former resident and a visitor on a number of occasions, was built in 1963 and will also be joined by sister locomotive Katie which was built in 1954 originally for the Dudley Zoo Railway.
The event is the first major show for ops manager Will who took up the role last November.
Originally starting work as a volunteer, he has progressed through the railway ranks from shunter to driver, paint shop and permanent way worker to his current role.
“There’s always something new to learn – I love interacting with the passengers who are very different every day,” Will said.
